Department of Homeland Security

[Note: This article was co-written with my wife who helped both with the research and the writing]

In Part One of my Homeland Security Presidential Directive #12 coverage I discussed the implementation of this Bush decree, how intrusive it is, and how refusal to give the government a blanket waiver to investigate your life could prevent you from receiving an ID card that will allow you to get into your place of work. In it I introduced the two possible forms that a person would have to fill out to get their ID: Form 85 (intrusive) and Form 85p (even more intrusive). In Part One I focused on statements made by Professor Robert Nelson, Senior Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL). But I also pointed out that this is not academic. It affects my wife.

I have discussed this more with my wife to get her personal view. At first I was a little relieved: she would probably only have to fill out Form 85. That still means she has to sign a blanket waiver that would allow the government to investigate her if they want for whatever reason, but at least it isn’t Form 85p which requires even more waivers of one’s rights.

But my wife then drew my particular attention to one aspect of the implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive #12. It is something called the Suitability Matrix, which all NASA employees (and probably all government employees) from janitor to student to professor have to undergo. In Part One, all discussion of Homeland Security Presidential Directive #12 involved a “voluntary” signing away of one’s rights in order to get an ID card. But the Suitability Matrix goes much, much further. And it is already in place.

Just when I think the Bush administration couldn't get into a deeper cesspool of corruption, that then comes news like the one about Michael Chertoff being the possible replacement for Alberto Gonzales and ... well ... I have to slap myself out the shock.

Let me refresh your memory :

This the same Michael Chertoff that allegedly traced the 9/11 to Al-Qaeda and who helped market and brand "the war on terror".

Michael Chertoff is the guy that helped write the "torture memorandum" while he was at the criminal division of the Justice Department.

This is the same guy that was supposed to manage and supervise FEMA, especially before, during and after the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina.

At least we can say one thing about Bush : He's loyal.